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AHN Movement Disorders Program

Movement disorders can affect your ability to walk, talk, and perform everyday activities. At the AHN Neuroscience Institute, we specialize in helping patients find relief from symptoms and manage these conditions over the long term.

Movement disorder care at AHN

Our movement disorder experts are leaders in their field. We have guided thousands of patients toward more active, fulfilling lives through multidisciplinary treatment plans and surgeries such as deep brain stimulation. At AHN, you'll have access to comprehensive evaluations and the latest treatment options — so you can feel confident in your care.

Expert movement disorder care at AHN

Our team evaluates and manages several movement disorders, including:

Parkinson's disease and related conditions
Essential tremor (the most common cause of shaking in the hands, head, or voice)
Dystonia (involuntary muscle contractions or twisting)
Ataxia (balance and coordination problems)
Huntington's and Wilson's disease (inherited movement conditions)
Tics and Tourette syndrome
Functional movement disorder
Medication-induced movement problems (such as tardive dyskinesia)

Getting an accurate diagnosis

Movement disorders can be challenging to diagnose because their symptoms often resemble those of other conditions. At AHN, our specialists have deep expertise in evaluating a wide range of movement disorders. We use multiple diagnostic tools to carefully assess your symptoms and provide an accurate diagnosis.

Imaging tests (like MRI): Help confirm or rule out other causes that might explain your symptoms.
Blood or urine tests: Detect unusual levels of cells, hormones, or other substances that could contribute to your symptoms.
Neurological tests: Assess stiffness, slowness, tremor, and coordination.

Personalized treatment tailored to your needs

After a thorough evaluation, we create a personalized care plan that fits your symptoms and needs. As your condition or goals change, we adjust your treatment plan to make sure it continues to support your health and quality of life.

Treatment options include:

Medication: Your physician will determine which medications and dosages are best for you, based on your symptoms and challenges.
Physical therapy: Targeted exercises and activities can improve movement, strength, and balance. Our caring physical therapists design a personalized plan to support your daily function and overall health.
Speech and swallowing therapy: Specially trained speech therapists help you improve communication, cognition, and swallowing skills, making daily activities easier.
Occupational therapy: Occupational therapists teach strategies and provide tools to help you stay independent in daily activities such as dressing, cooking, and writing.
Botulinum toxin injections: These treatments can reduce muscle stiffness, spasms, drooling, or abnormal movements caused by conditions like dystonia or tremor.
Surgery: Neurosurgical procedures such as deep brain stimulation may be an option. Our specialists have performed hundreds of these innovative procedures, which involve placing electrodes in the brain to help regulate movement.
Integrative and holistic care: We also offer supportive therapies — such as nutrition counseling, exercise classes, stress management, and support groups — to address the whole person, not just the disease.

Integrated treatment in one location

The AHN Integrative Neurosciences Program includes a one-stop Integrative Neurology Clinic at Allegheny General Hospital for patients newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. At the clinic, patients can see all of their providers and specialists, from nurse navigators and therapists to dietitians and neuropsychologists, in one location. Patients also have access to our community wellness program, which includes support groups, caregiver wellness programs, educational seminars, and movement and dance classes.

Clinical trials are special research opportunities that explore medical treatments, strategies, or devices to ensure they're safe and effective for human use.

Active movement disorder clinical trials

Participating in these trials gives AHN patients special access to some of the newest potential treatment options for Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders. Participation in clinical trials is based on meeting eligibility criteria.

PDGENE-PF: Parkinson's Foundation PD GENEration Genetic Registry

The purpose of this study is to develop a central repository for Parkinson's disease-related genomic data by individuals who consent to deposit their data and bank their residual DNA obtained through clinical genetic testing for future research use. Learn more about this study.

A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Intravenous (IV) Prasinezumab in Participants With Early-Stage Parkinson's Disease (PARAISO)

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of prasinezumab compared with placebo in participants with early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) on stable symptomatic monotherapy with levodopa. Learn more about this study.

Registry for Stimulation Outcomes and Research (RESTORE-DBS Database)

AHN is establishing a comprehensive registry for patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy. This initiative aims to gather vital information on individuals receiving DBS for movement and psychiatric disorders, including Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, dystonia, epilepsy, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

By collecting detailed data on patient characteristics, surgical procedures, and long-term outcomes, researchers seek to enhance patient care, better predict treatment success, and pave the way for future advancements in DBS therapy.

If you have undergone or will undergo DBS implantation at AHN and are interested in learning more about participating in this registry, please speak to your movement disorder specialist or call the research team at 412-359-6011.

Looking for other neuroscience care?

At the AHN Neuroscience Institute, our expert team can provide the latest treatment for your unique neurological condition.

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